We Are Only Human!

Caitlin Burke, MD

Critical Care Anesthesiology 

Brigham and Women's Hospital 

PGY 9

Caitlin Burke, MD

During the Clinical Skills Teaching Course, I was disheartened to find out that research supports the “70-30” rule.  Namely, I receive only 30 percent of what I need to know in order to perform new tasks from my teachers.  In light of the other 70 percent that depends on each of us and on our learning environments, teaching effectively started to feel like a futile effort.  Moreover, our brains are not as powerful as I imagined, as I came to better understand our limited mental working capacities.  Namely, multi-tasking (including processing my environment) may cause my knowledge acquisition and performance to plummet.  Importantly, it is this same mental overload that may leave some trainees deaf to feedback, due to no fault of their own.

 

With respect to my role as a clinical and operative teacher, the Clinical Skills Teaching Course allowed me to embrace the fact that we are only human and to be more patient in my own teaching efforts as well as to focus my attention on the concept of continuous practice of both teaching and giving feedback.  To that end, I will continue to ask questions to clarify understanding, allowing trainees to practice putting their patient assessments into words more often in order to practice delivering information with clarity.  I will optimize the environments in which I deliver feedback and ensure that I have developed a relationship with trainees such that my advice is credible. 

 

This course is important for trainees while in training because it illuminates the challenges we face as learners and teachers and establishes a common ground for tactics to improve moving forward.  With the knowledge I gained from this course, I am optimistic about optimizing my own learning and teaching and intent on focusing a portion of my attending career on surgical education given that there is still so much work to do.